BYNUM ANNOUNCES COSPONSORSHIP OF MEDICARE FOR ALL

Clackamas, OR – Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum announced her support for the Medicare for All Act at an event she held at the Portland Waterfront. She emphasized this legislation as a key way to combat the rising cost of and lack of access to healthcare as Oregonians continue to be priced out of basic coverage.

“Healthcare is a human right,” said Rep. Bynum. “And the last time I checked, you weren’t supposed to have to choose between your human rights and a roof over your head. You weren’t supposed to have to budget your human rights into your paycheck. That isn’t agency. It’s time to give the people their healthcare. To give them their agency. And that starts with Medicare for All.

“As a rural family medicine doctor I see the challenges my patients face every day,” said Dr. Antonio Germann, Clinical Medical Director, MD, MPH, FAAFP. “I am ecstatic to see bold leadership by Rep. Bynum to put patients first and promote sound policy that brings equitable health care access to my community with support of the Medicare For All legislation.”

“When knocking doors for Janelle on her first campaign for State Rep. I was hoping this day would come,” said Tom Sincic, Retired Family Nurse Practitioner. “Janelle had a clear understanding of the burden of health insurance on both small businesses and workers.”

Background

Republicans slashed $1 billion in federal healthcare spending under their “One Big Beautiful Bill” which Congresswoman Bynum strongly opposed. Because of these spending cuts, roughly 7.5 million Americans will lose health insurance coverage, including nearly 200,000 Oregonians. Under this bill, 28,000 people in Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District will experience sky rocketing health care costs due to the Republicans' decision to end Affordable Care tax credits. The Medicare for All Act ensures every American can access high quality healthcare and restores access from these harmful cuts. 

Watch Congresswoman Bynum’s remarks HERE or read them below. 

Thank you all for being here today. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last two years listening to people, including members of my own family, talk about healthcare.

And I have heard story after story that should make every last one of us angry.

I’ve heard about people who did everything right – people who worked hard, paid their premiums, and took care of their families, but still couldn’t get the healthcare they needed.

People who saw their premiums skyrocket.

People who lost their coverage entirely.

People like Annie from Bend. Annie and her husband are self-employed and use the marketplace for health insurance. With the expiration of the ACA tax credits, their premium is increasing by $700 a month. A month.

People like Merri from Albany. Merri is a senior that relies on Medicaid for her in-home support. With Medicaid cuts, she told me that, “one hospitalization or surgery would make her homeless.”

People like Rose. When I first talked to Rose’s mother, she told me that Rose was 7 seven-years-old, in the first grade, and that she makes friends everywhere she goes.

Rose was also diagnosed with an ultra-rare genetic syndrome when she was three-and-a-half, and uses a feeding tube and a wheelchair. 

Medicaid allowed Rose to receive physical therapy, and thanks to that therapy, she was starting to take steps. Medicaid cuts could stop her from being able to afford that care.

And I could go on and on.

And after hearing those stories, I keep coming back to something: I believe, deeply, in my heart that access is agency.

If you have access to healthcare, you have the freedom to make decisions about your life.

You can leave the job you don’t like so much and decide to start your own business. You can take care of a sick kid without wondering whether you can afford the emergency room. You can make decisions based on what is best for you and your family – not based on whether you can afford to see a doctor.

That is agency. And that matters to people.

Right now, too many Americans don’t have it. I know firsthand how absurd these costs are. My family pays more than $20,000 a year out of our own pocket for healthcare. Twenty thousand dollars. That’s outrageous.

The system does not make sense to me. As a mother of four who’s had to take their kids to the hospital – seems like every week sometimes – and like so many Oregonians, I’m tired of the lip service we get from Washington on healthcare. We have to turn the whole system on its head. 

Now, look around at this beautiful city, all of us here in Portland. Look at the skyline. You see the names of enormous healthcare and insurance companies. But the people living under that skyline? They’re struggling to afford healthcare and housing. And they’re trying to figure out which bill gets paid this month.

For me, there’s something fundamentally wrong with a system where the institutions who control access to healthcare can thrive while the people who actually need the healthcare are scared to use it.

And it’s only getting worse. Trump’s trash bill and the enhanced ACA tax credits expiring means over 28,000 people in my district are seeing their healthcare costs rise. And another 25,000 people in the district could lose their healthcare coverage entirely.

And that, that is why I’m proud to cosponsor Medicare for All. We’ve had enough.

I’m doing it for Annie and Merri and Rose.

For the senior standing at the pharmacy counter wondering which prescription they can skip this month because the electric bill is due.

I’ve seen my own mom go back and forth with the pharmacist about how much the prescription costs. My own mom, who worked for 30 years as a teacher, going back and forth about prescription drugs.

For the person who knows something is wrong but keeps putting off the doctor because they're scared of a multi-thousand-dollar bill.

For the Oregonian in a rural area who already has to drive an hour for care and can’t afford another barrier between them and a doctor.

For the mom that’s about to have a baby who’s skipping prenatal care because it's too hard and too far to get to the doctor.

I’m doing it for every Oregonian who has felt that they’re getting a raw deal, that they’re going without care, or they’ve had to make financial decisions about their health.

To me, healthcare is a human right. Healthcare is a human right. One more time, healthcare is a human right.

And the last time I checked, you weren’t supposed to have to choose between your human rights and a roof over your head.

You weren’t supposed to have to budget your human rights into your paycheck.

That isn’t agency, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s time to give the people their healthcare. Give the people their healthcare. Give the people their healthcare. Give the people their healthcare.

And that starts with Medicare for All.

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